Yes, Some People Do Give Milk To Their Dogs, But Can They Really Drink It?

Many of us assume that dogs can drink milk. We’ve all seen TV shows and movies that show pet animals of all kinds drinking some milk from a saucer. But as it turns out, this is all entirely inaccurate.

Can dogs drink milk? The short answer is no. Essentially, all dogs are lactose intolerant due to a lack of lactase in their bodies. This means they cannot properly digest milk, leading to stomach upsets. Different dogs have varying degrees of lactose intolerance, but generally, it affects them negatively in some way.

But why can puppies drink their mother’s milk? Well, a dog’s milk is meant for puppies to be able to drink it, and it has different components to the milk we usually drink.

A tiny bit of milk will likely not harm your dog unless they are allergic to it. However, large amounts can lead to issues such as:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Sickness
• Gas and bloatedness
• Abdominal pain

These symptoms may persist for several hours or up to a day. It can take hours for these symptoms to first show up.

It’s okay to try feeding your dog a tiny amount of milk to see their reaction to it, and keep feeding to a minimum. Just make sure not to use high-fat or whole milk, which can all cause serious complications in excess!

Feature Image Source: Pixabay